The news that Daizen Maeda will miss the rest of this season has come as an another blow to Celtic in season where injuries have been a constant feature in our campaign.
The Japanese international has his critics, but his presence will be sorely missed in the run in. Daizen can be a frustrating player, but he is capable of producing moments of class, and his work rate and dedication are second to none.
With Daizen unavailable the likes of Luis Palma has to step up and fill that void. Luis has a superb goal and assist record in his short time at the club, but rather like Daizen he can be a bit frustrating to watch.
Luis is decent player, but has to improve his ability to beat his man, if he manages to add that to his game then he will be a superb player.
Another thing that he will need to add to his game is commitment and attitude, especially with Daizen absent. Daizen’s never-say-die attitude scared the life out of rival players, just ask theRangers captain James Tavernier. To be fair to Luis, his game is not about that, but it’s something he should be looking to add as we enter a vital stage of the season.
Brendan Rodgers said at the weekend that this is the time of the year when Celtic comes alive. Luis Palma should take his manager’s advice and finish his own debut season at the club with a flourish. Daizen’s injury provides Luis with a route back into the starting eleven after his own injury. He should grab it with both hands.
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